Credit, collections & insolvency news

Mergers & Acquisitions

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has referred Experian’s purchase of ClearScore for an in-depth merger investigation. The CMA found that Experian and ClearScore are the two largest credit checking firms and are each other’s, main competitors. In the CMA initial (phase 1) investigation identified concerns that the merged company would be less likely to innovate…

Quick Loans has announced it has completed the purchase of the Cheque Centre, with the aim of relaunching the brand. Once the second biggest lender on the UK high street, the Cheque Centre, which had a turnover of over £270million and boasted 300 stores, went into administration in the summer of 2017 after the board decided…

Encore Capital Group has announced that it has completed its acquisition of the remaining interest in Cabot Credit Management (Cabot) meaning that Cabot is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Encore. The transaction is expected to be accretive to Encore earnings in 2018 and beyond, and Encore’s earnings per share growth are expected to accelerate to…

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has raised concerns that Experian’s purchase of ClearScore may reduce competition for people who want to check their credit score. ClearScore and Experian are the first and second-largest providers of free credit score checking in the UK. Experian is also the largest paid credit score checking provider. Millions of…

Credit reference agency, Callcredit has announced the change of its brand name to TransUnion, after being acquired by the leading global risk and information solutions provider in a £1 billion deal last month. As a phased integration process begins, UK businesses and consumers will start to become familiar with TransUnion, which already has a presence in…

Hitachi Capital UK has announced it has acquired of Franchise Finance, a specialist financial services provider to the franchising industry. The transaction boosts Hitachi Capital UK’s lending base to SMEs and franchisees, bringing considerable senior consultancy experience to the Group and helping to build a profitable portfolio within an underserved market. The acquisition also enables…

TransUnion has announced that it has completed the acquisition of Callcredit Information Group, for approximately £1 billion $1.4 billion). Founded in 2000, Callcredit is a U.K.-based information solutions company that, like TransUnion, provides data, analytics and technology solutions to help businesses and consumers make informed decisions. Jim Peck, TransUnion’s President and Chief Executive Officer said…

CYBG have reached an agreement with Virgin Money to acquire the business confirming a £1.7 billion deal. The agreement will create the UK’s sixth-largest bank. Virgin is the largest shareholder in Virgin Money with a stake of ca. 34.8%. The combination of two of the country’s leading challenger banks will create a powerful competitor to…

Credit insurer, Allianz Group has completed the last steps to become the sole owner of Euler Hermes. Following the completion of the simplified tender offer the legal conditions were met and Allianz has implemented a squeeze-out on the remaining shares of Euler Hermes it did not hold yet, followed by the delisting from Euronext Paris…

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has found that the merger of SSE Retail and Npower could lead to higher prices for some billpayers, following its initial investigation. The CMA) has been assessing whether SSE Retail and Npower’s proposal to create a new energy company for domestic retail customers could reduce competition. Its initial Phase 1 investigation…